LILIES - RHS Lily Group

growing plants in a climate that has cooler summers and wetter winters.
1964 Let’s Grow Lilies (Virginia Howie)
This work, which is restricted to 48 pages, was published by the American Lily
Society. Virginia Howie has made a successful attempt to produce a guidebook
in comic form with lots of line diagrams. The booklet would be ideal for
instructing people who have no horticultural knowledge or who experience
learning difficulties.
1967 Easter Lilies (T. Allen et al)
I have made an exception with this work in as much as I have excluded reports from
experimental stations. However the information given in this paperback is important
– i.e. it gives considerable insight into plant breeding, physiology and commercial lily
production - and is a must for anyone wishing to study these subjects.
1970 Lilies (Carl Feldmaier)
This book was originally published in German and it was so good that it was
translated into English. It rates excellent in both propagation and pests and
diseases and gives an insight into growing lilies under continental conditions.
1980 Lilies (Patrick M. Synge)
This book claims to be a complete revision of Elwes’ Monograph of 1880. On
publication it caused consternation amongst many members of the Group. One
wag was heard to comment “St Peter revising the Old Testament”. There is no
doubt that the quality of this work does not compare with the 1880 publication
and subsequent supplements. The quality of the illustrations and the wording of
the text are certainly different.
To the majority of lily enthusiasts who have never seen Elwes’ original publication,
it was a welcome relief and it is the first and only work after Elwes which may be
regarded as a complete botanical monograph. Patrick Synge (the Editor of the RHS
and Secretary of the Lily Group) was never noted as a lily grower. However he
was an author of several good books and with the facilities of the Lindley library
at his fingertips he was in a unique position to carry out an extensive revision of
Elwes’ work. Unfortunately Elwes which extends to two rather large volumes plus
paperback supplements, had to be condensed into one reasonable-sized book.
The result is very concise English and rather dry reading. However, despite this,
there is no doubt that Synge produced a publication which is the finest piece of
literature on the subject since Elwes’ publication in 1880.
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